Injection molding apparatus with perpendicular hot tip gates

Abstract: Multi-cavity injection molding apparatus with hot tip gates (16) extending perpendicular to the direction of mold opening to provide very clean shearing action. The heated nozzles (10) extend diagonally outward in two rows from a pair of diagonal surfaces (22,24) extending along an elongated melt distribution manifold (12). Each nozzle (10) has a pointed tip (96) extending outwardly at an angle (B) to its longitudinal axis (56) in alignment with one of the gates (16). The outward angles (A,B) of the nozzles (10) themselves and their pointed tips (96) enable the gates (16) to be oriented parallel to the parting line (58) and perpendicular to the direction of mold opening.

Description: This invention relates to an injection molding apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1. Injection molding simultaneously through a number of gates to a number of different cavities is well known in the art and is referred to as multi-cavity molding. It is well known to do this using a number of hot tip gated nozzles to convey melt out from a common melt distribution manifold or using a single edge gated nozzle to convey melt to a number of surrounding gates. Examples of edge gated nozzles are shown in the applicants' U.S. Patent Number 4,344,750 which issued August 17, 1982 and in Figure 4 of U.S. Patent Number 5,217,730 to Teng which issued June 8, 1993. These configurations have the advantage that the gates extend parallel to the parting line or perpendicular to the direction of mold opening and thus provide very clean shearing at the gate when the parts are demolded from the cavities. However, in addition to not being hot tip gated, they have the serious disadvantage for many larger cavity applications that the gates must be located relatively close together around the single nozzle between them. This space restriction limits the extent and location of cooling which can be provided adjacent the cavities which is important for fast cycles. It also limits the position of the gate on the cavity which is important in other situations to avoid undue core shift. An example of a number of hot tip gated nozzles extending out from a common melt distribution manifold is shown in U.S. Patent Number 4,768,945 to Schmidt et al. which was issued September 6, 1998. From US-A-4,768,945, an injection molding nozzle is known. Said hot tip gated nozzle is arranged substantially perpendicular to the related parting line, wherein said pointed tip and the related gate is arranged in-line with the main axis of the related nozzle. Moreover, from said prior art document a further nozzle with a nose portion being inclined with regard to the main axis of the nozzle is known. Said nose portion is also inclined with the related parting line. The gate related to said nose portion is arranged in a direction being parallel to the parting line mentioned above. While avoiding the above disadvantages of edge gating, this configuration has the disadvantage that the hot tip gates cannot be oriented to extend to a portion of the cavity wall which is perpendicular to the parting line to produce the shearing effect of edge gating. An example of nozzles extending diagonally outwardly from a common manifold is shown in Figure 28 of Plastverarbeiter Volume 30 Number 2, 1979 pages 83 - 88. Said injection molding apparatus comprises heated nozzles, having a longitudinal axis each, being inclined to a parting line, wherein each nozzle having a pointed tip aligned with a gate being arranged in-line with regard to the longitudinal axis mentioned above. Thus it similarly has the advantage that the gates cannot extend parallel to the parting line and must be positioned at an angled portion of the cavity wall. Page 7 of Mold-Masters Limited Brochure E-CMSSN-11-90 Injection Molding with Compact Master-Shot shows nozzles for both angled hot tip gating and angled edge gating. However, none of the prior art shows the combined advantages of hot tip gating and shearing at the gates provided by the gates being oriented perpendicular to the direction of opening of the mold. From EP-A-186 413 an injection molding apparatus with means for supply of moldable material to a mold cavity is known. Said means are arranged substantially perpendicular to the parting line of the mold. Moreover, said means comprising a pointed tip and a related gate, which are arranged in a direction being inclined with regard to the parting line. It is an objective of the present invention to provide an injection molding apparatus as indicated above having an improved clean shearing at the gate when the parts are demolded from the cavities. According to the present invention this objective is solved by an injection molding apparatus as mentioned above and has further the characterizing features of independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments are laid down in the further dependent claims. Hereinafter the present invention is illustrated and explained in further details by means of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of a portion of a multi-cavity injection molding system showing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment, and Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of Figure 1 showing angles A and B. Reference is first made to Figure 1 which shows a portion of a multi-cavity injection molding system or apparatus having several steel nozzles 10 extending from a melt distribution manifold 12 to convey pressurized plastic melt through a melt passage 14 to respective gates 16 leading to different cavities 18 in the mold 20. The melt distribution manifold 12 has a suitable elongated shape with a pair of diagonal surfaces 22, 24 extending longitudinally along it. While only two nozzles 10 are seen, there are several nozzles spaced in a row 26, 28 along each of the diagonal surfaces 22, 24. The melt passage 14 extends from a common inlet 30 in an inlet portion 32 of the melt distribution manifold 12 and branches in the manifold 12 to a separate arm 34 which extends in alignment with a melt bore 36 extending through each of the nozzles 10. For ease of illustration, the mold 20 is shown including only a nozzle and cavity retainer plate 38, cavity insert 40, cavity insert retainer plate 42, and core insert 44. Other molds may include a variety of additional plates or parts depending upon the application. The nozzle and cavity retainer plate 38 is cooled by pumping cooling water through cooling channels 46. Cooling is provided around each cavity 18 by pumping cooling water through a cooling conduit 48 with alternate portions extending forwardly and rearwardly on an angle to form a cooling circuit around the cavity 18. Cooling is also provided by cooling water flowing through a central cooling tube 50 extending in the core insert 44. Each nozzle 10 is seated in an opening 52 in the nozzle plate 38 with its rear end 54 abutting against one of the diagonal surfaces 22, 24 running along the elongated manifold 12. As best seen in Figure 2, the nozzles 10 extend forwardly and outwardly from the manifold 12 with a longitudinal axis 56 extending at the same angle A to the common parting line 58 between the cavities 18 as the diagonal surfaces 22, 24 face. In this embodiment, the angle A is substantially 45°, although in other embodiments the nozzles 10 can extend diagonally on some other suitable angle as described further below. Each nozzle 10 has a rear collar portion 60, a central cylindrical locating and sealing flange 62, and a forward nose portion 64. The locating and sealing flange 62 seals and locates in the opening 52 with an insulative air space 68 between the angled inner surface 70 of the opening 52 and the outer surface 72 of the locating flange 62. The insulative air space 68 ensures there is sufficient thermal separation between the cooled nozzle and cavity retainer plate 38 and the nozzle 10 which is heated by an integral electrical heating element 74. The heating element 74 extends around the melt bore 36 from an external terminal 76 near the rear end 54 and has a forward end 78 which extends centrally into the forward nose portion 64 of the nozzle 10. The melt bore 36 through the nozzle 10 has a central portion 78 which extends forwardly from the rear end 54 and a diagonal portion 80 which extends outwardly to a space 82 surrounding the forward nose portion 64. The locating and sealing flange 62 has a seal 84 which fits against the angled inner surface 70 of the opening 52 to prevent pressurized melt escaping from the space 82 around the forward nose portion 64 into the insulative air space 68 around the locating and sealing flange 62. The nozzles 10 are secured in place in the openings 52 in the nozzle and cavity retainer plate 38 by the elongated manifold 12. The manifold 12 is, in turn, held securely in place between a retaining plate 86 and a locating ring 88 by mounting screws 90. Thus, the melt distribution manifold 12 which can be heated by an integral electrical heating element (not shown) is mounted with an insulative air space 92 extending between it and the adjacent cooled nozzle and cavity retainer plate 38. The parting line 58 extends perpendicularly to the melt passage inlet 30 in the inlet portion 32 of the manifold and the mold opens in a direction perpendicular to the parting line 58. Although the walls 94 of the cavities 18 are also shown extending perpendicularly to the parting line 58, it is well known in the art that they must extend at a draft angle of from 0.5° to 5° from perpendicular to facilitate demolding from the cavities 18. While this draft has been disregarded to facilitate the following discussion, in actual fact it is well known that allowance must be made for it in determining the actual orientation of the cavity walls 94 and gates 16. The forward nose portion 64 of each nozzle 10 has a pointed tip 96 which extends in alignment with one of the gates 16. As best seen in Figure 2, the pointed tip 96 extends outwardly at an angle B to the longitudinal axis 56 of the nozzle 10. In this embodiment, the angle B is substantially 45° which is the same as angle A at which the longitudinal axis 56 of the nozzle 10 extends to provide that the pointed tips 96 and gates 16 extend in a direction substantially parallel to the parting line 58. The gates 16 extend perpendicular to the cavity wall 94 so the term "substantially parallel" is defined herein as allowing or providing for the required small draft angle referred to above. If the diagonal surfaces 22, 24 of the manifold 12 are shaped so the rows of nozzles 10 extend outwardly with angle A 40° then the angle B at which the pointed tips 96 extend also has to be 40° to result in the pointed tips 96 and gates 16 extending substantially parallel to the parting line 58. As mentioned above, this has the advantage that the gates 16 extend substantially perpendicular to the direction of mold opening which produces very clean shearing at the gates 16. In use, the injection molding system or apparatus is assembled as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Electrical power is applied to the heating element in the manifold 12 and to the heating elements 74 in the nozzles 10 to heat them to a predetermined operating temperature. Pressurized melt is applied from a molding machine (not shown) to the common inlet 30 to the melt passage 14 according to a predetermined molding cycle. The melt flows from the melt distribution manifold 12 through the nozzles 10 and gates 16 into the cavities 18. After the cavities 18 are filled and a suitable packing and cooling period has expired, injection pressure is released and the melt conveying system is decompressed to avoid possible stringing through the open gates 16. The mold 20 is then opened to demold the molded products. As described above, the orientation of the gates 16 substantially perpendicular to the direction of opening ensures very clean shearing at the gates 16 in line with the cavity wall 94. After demolding, the mold 20 is closed and the cycle repeated continuously with a cycle time dependent upon the size of the cavities 18 and the type of material being molded. While the description of the injection molding apparatus according to the invention has been given with respect to a preferred embodiment, it will be evident that various other modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as understood by those skilled in the art and as defined in the following claims.

Claims: Injection molding apparatus comprising a plurality of heated nozzles (10) extending from a common elongated manifold (12) with a melt passage inlet (30) to convey melt from the melt passage inlet (30) to a plurality of gates (16), each gate (16) extending through a mold (20) to a separate cavity (18) extending from a common parting line (58), the parting line (58) extending substantially perpendicular to the melt passage inlet (30), each nozzle (10) being seated in a well in the mold (20) and having a longitudinal axis (56), a first predetermined angle (A) is defined between the parting line (58) and the longitudinal axis (56) of the nozzle (10), and a pointed tip (96) is aligned with a respective one of the gates (16), the manifold (12) comprising at least one inclined surface (22,24) against which the rear ends (54) of the nozzles (10) abut, characterized in that a second predetermined angle (B) is defined between the longitudinal axis (56) of the nozzle (10) and the extending direction of the pointed tip (96), wherein the gates (16) extend substantially parallel to the parting line (58) and the pointed tip (96) extends in a direction substantially parallel to the parting line (58). Injection molding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the manifold (12) has a pair of the inclinded surfaces (22,24), each inclined surface (22,24) extending longitudinally and facing forwardly, and in opposite directions outwardly at the first predetermined angle (A) to the parting line (58), the nozzles (10) being spaced along both of the inclined surfaces (22,24) in two rows (26,28) extending forwardly and in opposite directions outwardly at the first predetermined angle (A) to the parting line (58). Injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first predetermined angle (A) at which each nozzle (10) extends to the parting line (58) is substantially 45° and the second predetermined angle (B) at which the pointed tip (96) of each nozzle (10) extends outwardly to the longitudinal axis (56) of the nozzle (10) is substantially 45°.

Inventors: GELLERT JOBST ULRICH, GELLERT, JOBST ULRICH
Applicants: GELLERT JOBST U, GELLERT, JOBST ULRICH
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B29C45
IPC codes: B29C45